'Brand Approval '' for second hand books
Can anyone give me any advice on this increasingly prevalent nonsense.?
I believe that it has already been established in the courts that brand approval is not legally required for second hand books. And this is the business that Amazon itself was founded on. Yet the dreaded ''Approval Needed' is getting more and more common.
The most ubiquitous is Penguin, which owns several other brands. its very annoying trying to list a book and its impossible, even though several other people are selling it. And if they can sell it second hand, why can't I ?
The requirements for approval are quite simply impossible, so how do they do it.?
Does anyone from Amazon know why this is happening ?
And does anyone have any suggestions for getting round this ?
'Brand Approval '' for second hand books
Can anyone give me any advice on this increasingly prevalent nonsense.?
I believe that it has already been established in the courts that brand approval is not legally required for second hand books. And this is the business that Amazon itself was founded on. Yet the dreaded ''Approval Needed' is getting more and more common.
The most ubiquitous is Penguin, which owns several other brands. its very annoying trying to list a book and its impossible, even though several other people are selling it. And if they can sell it second hand, why can't I ?
The requirements for approval are quite simply impossible, so how do they do it.?
Does anyone from Amazon know why this is happening ?
And does anyone have any suggestions for getting round this ?
27 replies
Seller_N0kQDKMgwda6y
I just spoke with someone from amazon on Chat. They assured me that not only did I need brand approval, but also the Authors approval. And that i should just go ahead and fill in the required forms.
It was like speaking to a particularly thick brick wall.
Seller_eX5PU1b0GGPXn
I have never heard so much rubbish
First sale Doctrine exists in Law Here and Overseas
If Amazon chooses to ignore this they need to be open and honest with sellers regarding their policy not via the back door
But they also need to explain how mega sellers get round this rule when they buy in bulk from charity shops etc
Seller_uNEFJCO9ASCRo
I wrote to the managing director of the company that publishes one of the books that Amazon wants me to provide Brand authorisation for. He said he had never heard of such a thing and as far as he was concerned I could carry on selling...............
Seller_ErcPRgZZUqFK6
If proof were needed that the official policy of Amazon is to get rid of small private sellers with single used copies of out of print books then this is it:
Jeff Guy 'The Destruction of the Zulu Kingdom' published 1979 by Longmans with ISBN 0582646863.
According to Amazon I need approval to sell this almost 50 year old out of print book and this is the approval details I need to provide:
Selling application for Brand
You are requesting approval to sell Rocket Dog branded brand items.
Submit documents
At least 1 purchase invoice for products from a manufacturer or distributor
Document must meet the following requirements:
Dated on or after 20 Feb 2026 (within 180 days)
Includes your name and address, matching the information in your selling account
Include the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor
Show the combined purchase of at least 10 units
Omit pricing information (optional)
Please note that, we may verify your submitted documentation by contacting product vendors you identify in your application.
If you’re providing an Amazon Invoice or Order confirmation, please show a combined and fulfilled purchase of at least 50 units.
Who or what is Rocket Dog? The publisher is Longmans as clearly shown on the product details page.
There are no copies of this book available on Amazon either new or used so they know that their requirements are impossible to meet
As the potential customer for this desirable out of print item is deprived of the opportunity to buy, who benefits from this ludicrous restriction of legitimate trade?
There is clear evidence that the book is still important as there are several high priced paperback reprints but not a single copy of the original hardcover publication.
I have been a seller on Amazon for twenty years with an impeccable record of customer service so the desire to control the world by Amazon not only harms me and my colleagues who actually know and like books it also diminishes the value of the book catalogue to serious book collectors who can only acquire what the mighty platform allows to be seen. That was not the intention of the founders who actually wanted the maximum exposure of the entire range of the copyright libraries.
Seller_N0kQDKMgwda6y
Amazon could tweak their software to make books exempt from these requirements and to fall in line with the actual law.
But they can't be bothered to do this, to the extent that they are prepared to actually try and lie to us that what they are doing is a legal requirement , when we all know that it is not.
Its pretty bizarre behaviour, to say the least.
Seller_19xPhE8YgkmxW
Hi All,
It's worse than that!
I've just had 2 Fantasy Fiction books removed for Policy Compliance infringements - one was a US edition of a book that's got a UK edition and the other was an earlier edition of a book that's currently listed on Amazon.
In each case the Detail Page has been removed, and I've had to admit liability, culpability etc., and my Account Health has gone down by 4 points even though the Account Health and Policy Compliance pages say it will not be impacted!
So we are potentially at risk of Policy Compliance infringements even though the content of these books is available on Amazon and this is the wrong category of infringement...
Parallel Import and Potential Pricing Error have been used in the past, but Policy Compliance is more serious!
All Best
Brian
Seller_N0kQDKMgwda6y
it looks very much as if all second hand booksellers ( well, not the 'chosen few', obviously ) will sooner or later be forced out of selling on Amazon all together. I am still listing, still selling a few, but I consider myself as on a short lease which can be revoked anytime Amazon feels like it.
Seller_eX5PU1b0GGPXn
Rocket Dog is a Company that specialises in shoes , flip flops etc
No mention of anything regarding publishing
As a seller of books I feel your pain
This is what happens when you have an over reliance on AI
Regards
Seller_RiVN2dcWY6xy9
I just delete the books and use other sites to sell, life is far too short to bother with getting Amazon to admit they are wrong.
My view is that Amazon don't want me to earn them money then **** them
Seller_AlYpsVHv0gj21
This has been going on for a long time and there have been many many posts about it on this forum.
In the absence of an explanation from Amazon as to why they are doing it numerous theories have been put forward.
I can understand that Amazon might want to have some control over what is being listed in their catalogue - it might otherwise end up being completely riddled with all sorts of "fake" listings ---- but hang on a minute! It is already riddled with fake listings .
My own theory ( I have been wrong before!) is that Amazon must in some way been colluding with some of the top publishers. I have written to quite a few publishers asking if they are objecting to people selling their old titles on Amazon - i have not recieved any answers.
